WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will shortly begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the federal Clean Air Act; and

WHEREAS, as a result of EPA’s action, major new sources of electric generation will be mandated to obtain Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permits setting forth Best Available Control Technology requirements for greenhouse gases; and

WHEREAS, major uncertainty exists because trial technologies, such as carbon capture and sequestration or integrated gasification combined cycle power plants, which hold significant prospect to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are still years away from being proven to be economically practicable or commercially available; and

WHEREAS, this uncertainty could paralyze the long-term planning and development of new electric generating units in the state at a time when the economy faces a critical void in the coming years of the electric power needed to support economic recovery and growth; and

WHEREAS, highly efficient power technologies, such as super-critical and ultra super-critical coal-fired electric generating units, represent a significant advancement over earlier generation coal units in terms of efficient use of coal and in reductions of emissions, and are compatible with carbon capture and sequestration systems when they become commercially viable, which will lead to even further greenhouse gas reductions; and

WHEREAS, these super-critical technologies are already demonstrated to serve the dual purpose of reducing the overall emissions profile of the electricity generation unit while providing efficient, affordable, and available power today and into the future; and

WHEREAS, it is in the state’s interest to support the use of these advanced and available technologies that take advantage of existing coal reserves to offer the state significant environmental and economic advantages, rather than delay development of critically needed baseload electricity supply or resort fully to less efficient or more expensive technologies:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the legislature of {insert state} hereby urge the {insert state department}, in issuing

(1) The need to act expeditiously in accordance with the state’s need to develop new electric generation; and

(2) The use of commercially available technologies that are designed to be as efficient as is economically practicable, including advanced super-critical pulverized coal, ultra super-critical pulverized coal, and that are designed to be carbon capture and sequestration-compatible, as potential Best Available Control Technology; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution does not amend any state law to which the {insert state department} is subject in the PSD process, and shall be interpreted to be consistent with any requirements of such state or federal law.